Another Quora question. I'm not sure what I was expecting to find, but weirdly enough I did come across a 'sport' that I had seen as a potential answer on The Chase.
Fox tossing was an actual thing. There was an arena with canvas operated, by two people, at each end. Once it was set foxes were released or driven into the arena where they ran over the cloth. The 'contestants' then yanked it, tossing them high into the air.
If the impact wasn't fatal on descent, it injured or understandably enraged the animal. This resulted in the fox attacking the fox tossers in self-defence. This seemed to add to the entertainment and usually ended with the fox being clubbed to death. In Dresden August II the Strong, the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony held a famous tossing contest in Dresden at which 647 foxes, 533 hares, 34 badgers and 21 Wildcats were tossed and killed
There's mention of wolves and hens being tossed. I found this quote on Wikipedia, " wildcats do not give a pleasing kind of sport, for if they cannot bury their claws and teeth in the faces or legs of the tossers, they cling to the tossing-slings for dear life, and it is next to impossible to give one of these animals a skilful toss".
Or how about some Coktossing? This could involve a rooster being tied to a post or placed in an earthenware jar where coksteles (specially weighted sticks) were thrown at the bird until it died. Sometimes they even propped it up with sticks if it's leg was broken or lamed to prolong the game. Or maybe you'd prefer some cock thrashing or whipping. In this version, they placed a rooster in a pit or tied it with a chord and blindfolded contestants tried to hit it with a whip.
If you prefer a bigger game, how about some Bear Baiting?. A bear was tethered in a pit and usually attacked by Old English Bulldogs. These were replaced as they tired or were killed. Or Bull Baiting where a bull was chained by the neck or hind leg and worried by dogs.
Continuing with the bird theme, we have some Goose Pulling. This involved attaching a live goose, with a well-greased head, to a pole or rope stretched across a road. A participant on horseback would gallup at full speed and attempt to pull the birds head off. This was considered fun in Spain, England, The Netherlands and North America.
.In America, they seem to turn in into a spectacle for thousands by setting up whiskey tents, shade, seats and gambling on the contestants. The 'Pullers' paid the goose owner to enter the competition, the winner may have got the dead goose as a prize.
It was still happening in 2008, albeit with a dead goose They even had .childrens competition in Lillo near Antwerp was won by a 14-year-old who won 390 euros and a trip to the Plopsaland theme park.
If you prefer a bigger game, how about some Bear Baiting?. A bear was tethered in a pit and usually attacked by Old English Bulldogs. These were replaced as they tired or were killed. Or Bull Baiting where a bull was chained by the neck or hind leg and worried by dogs.
There have been events where they a bear and bull have been pitted against each other. There's a story of a bear called Samson, in Mexico, who dug a hole big enough for an elephant, threw the bull in headfirst, winding it and then tried to bury it alive.
In England, for a change they had a pony run through the arena with an ape tied to it's a back, Dogs worried it, and the spectators found it 'laughable'.
I most countries these 'sports' have been outlawed or fallen out of fashion. Fox hunting and Bull Fighting are still legal in some parts of the world.
Illegal bloodsports are finding a new market and audience online. On Countryfile, they had a report about hares been trapped for use in hare coursing. The dogs are not muzzled so when they catch the hare it's curtains for it. In Ireland, a legal form of it with muzzled dogs is still allowed. Clubs are legally allowed net 70 to 75 hares. They are transported to the coursing venue, kept and trained for up to 8 weeks. It's given a ' fair start', two muzzled dogs are loosed with the winner being the dog who turns the hare first. The hares are then re-released back where they were trapped.
Coursing, cockfighting and dog fighting are making the hosts money through betting and the selling of purebred Greyhounds, Lurchers etc.
MMA and boxing could be considered blood sports. The participants voluntarily entered into these competitions. It's not the same as Gladiators in the Colleseum, but we still seem to have a thirst for blood.
